Drunken Harvard Business School students in drag get bar in hot water

If nothing else, employees of Tequila Rain learned today they have to call 911 immediately when a patron starts acting up, even if there's a detail cop right outside.

Boston Licensing Board members excoriated bar workers today for failing to do that during a rowdy Harvard Business School drag party on Oct. 30, when an allegedly out-of-it Harvard Business School student attacked bouncers trying to escort him out.

Bar managers and bouncers told the board they didn't think they had to call police because a detail cop on Lansdowne Street was on his way in to handle the situation. He never made it, however, because as he was going in, another party-goer was busy attacking him outside, according to a police report.

The student and witnesses went straight to the District D-4 police station to report club employees for assault and battery, which led to today's hearing. The licensing board will decide Thursday what to do about the incident - action could range from license suspension to simply filing the case away and doing nothing.

Harvard Business School had rented out the entire bar the night of Oct. 30 and used buses to bring students over from Allston for a Halloween drag party. Club bouncers said they refused entry to several would-be partiers because they appeared already drunk or didn't have proper ID - they say the guy who attacked the detail cop was one of them.

Bouncer Zachary Dennis said that when he found one guy asleep in a booth around 11:30 p.m., he woke him up and told him he'd have to leave because club policy forbids "sleeping in public" - often a sign of drunkenness or drug use.

Instead of going quietly, however, the man started screaming and swearing, Dennis said, adding the man then slapped his hand and pushed him. "I had to restrain him for a minute," he said, adding he told him if he quieted down, he could simply leave. He agreed, then as soon as Dennis let go, started swearing again and raised his arms as if to strike. "There were patrons all around," he said. "I was very concerned for their safety."

He summoned another bouncer and the guy kept acting up. Finally, at the door, he left - and headed straight for the District 4 police station, where he and some friends filed assault-and-battery complaints against the club.

Board Chairman Daniel Pokaski said he did not understand why Dennis didn't call 911 during the incident. "You have no right to touch him. None."

Board member Michael Connolly added, "Once he hit you, you had a right to self defense, but prior to that ..."

Even aside from the legal requirement to call police, Pokaski said bar workers should call police first if only to protect themselves. "You allow this alleged victim to walk into District 4 and he sets the tone for this whole police report. ... Had you called the police, I'm betting this report would never be written and you wouldn't be here."